On March 17, 2016 Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq:ADAP) ("Adaptimmune" or the "Company"), a leader in the use of T-cell therapy to treat cancer, reported financial results for the six-month period ended December 31, 2015 (Press release, Adaptimmune, MAR 17, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2149178 [SID:1234509609]).

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Adaptimmune previously announced its decision to change its fiscal year end to align fiscal reporting more closely with comparable companies in the industry which use calendar years and to provide more efficient reporting for U.S. investors. As a result of the change, the Company is required to and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") today a transition report on Form 20-F (the "Transition Report") for the transition period of July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

As of December 31, 2015, Adaptimmune had a total liquidity position1 of $247.6 million (£167.9 million). The Company is reiterating its cash burn guidance and expects its liquidity position at December 31, 2016, including cash, cash equivalents and short term deposits, to be at least $150 million.

"The six months ended December 31, 2015 marked an important period of execution throughout our organization," commented James Noble, Adaptimmune’s Chief Executive Officer. "We initiated a study in non-small cell lung cancer with our affinity-enhanced T-cell therapy targeting NY-ESO. We also made strong progress in moving our proprietary pipeline forward, including initiating a study in non-small cell lung cancer with our wholly-owned affinity-enhanced T-cell therapy targeting MAGE-A10. Further, we received RAC approval for our wholly-owned T-cell therapeutic candidate targeting AFP and anticipate filing an IND for this therapy during the first half of 2016."

Mr. Noble continued, "Since the start of 2016, we have already reached two key milestones. Firstly, we and GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK") expanded the terms of our strategic collaboration to enable us to accelerate the development of this candidate therapy into pivotal trials and conduct a range of combination studies. Secondly, we were recently awarded breakthrough therapy designation for our NY-ESO therapy in synovial sarcoma."

Recent Corporate and Clinical Highlights:

Expanded terms of strategic collaboration agreement with GSK to accelerate Adaptimmune’s lead clinical cancer program, an affinity-enhanced T-cell therapy targeting NY-ESO, with goal of initiating pivotal trials around year end 2016;

Received breakthrough therapy designation from U.S. Food and Drug Administration for affinity enhanced T-cell therapy targeting NY-ESO in synovial sarcoma;

Initiated Phase I/II trial evaluating affinity enhanced T-cell therapy targeting NY-ESO in patients with non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC");

Initiated Phase I/II trial evaluating the Company’s wholly-owned affinity enhanced T-cell therapy targeting MAGE-A10 in patients with NSCLC;

Received Recombinant Advisory Committee ("RAC") approval for Adaptimmune’s wholly-owned T-cell therapeutic candidate targeting AFP

Completed preclinical assessment of wholly-owned affinity-enhanced T-cell therapy targeting AFP; the Company expects to file an Investigational New Drug ("IND") application for Phase I/II studies in hepatocellular cancer in 1H2016; and

Announced strategic alliance with Universal Cells to develop allogeneic T-cell therapies.

Financial Results for the six-month period ended December 31, 2015

Cash / liquidity position: As of December 31, 2015, Adaptimmune had a total liquidity position of $247.6 million (£167.9 million). This consists of $193.2 million (£131.0 million) of cash and cash equivalents and $54.3 million (£36.8 million) of short-term deposits.
Cash burn: The net decrease in cash and cash equivalents was $21.6 million (£14.6 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2015, which includes the impact of unrealized foreign exchange gains of $10.0 million (£6.8 million) and $10.3 million (£7.0 million) of milestone payments received under the Company’s collaboration with GSK.

Revenue: For the six months ended December 31, 2015, revenue was $8.1 million (£5.5 million) compared to $3.6 (£2.4 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2014 (unaudited). The increase in revenue was due to an increase in services performed and achievement of development deliverables under the Company’s collaboration with GSK.

Research and development ("R&D") expenses: R&D expenses were $24.3 million (£16.5 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2015 compared to $8.4 (£5.7 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2014 (unaudited), primarily due to increased period-over-period costs associated with: ongoing clinical trials of the Company’s affinity-enhanced T-cell therapy targeting NY-ESO-1; preparation for, and initiation costs associated with, NSCLC studies with the Company’s affinity-enhanced T-cell therapies targeting NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A10, and personnel expenses for an increased number of employees engaged in R&D.
General and administrative ("G&A") expenses: G&A expenses were $10.8 million (£7.3 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2015 compared to $3.1 (£2.1 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2014 (unaudited). The increase was primarily due to increased personnel costs, increased property costs and other costs associated with being a public company.

Net loss: Net loss attributable to holders of the Company’s ordinary shares was $10.9 million (£7.4 million) for the six months ended December 31, 2015. This equates to $(0.03) or £(0.02) per ordinary share, or $(0.15) per American Depositary Share. This loss is stated after recognizing $12.9 million (£8.8 million) of finance income, which primarily represents unrealized foreign exchange gains.

The Company will not be holding a conference call to discuss these results and instead will provide a full update during its 2016 Analyst Day to be held on April 22, 2016.

Financial Guidance
Adaptimmune is reiterating its cash burn guidance. For the full year 2016, the Company expects its cash burn to be between $80 and $100 million and expects its liquidity position at December 31, 2016, including cash, cash equivalents and short term deposits, to be at least $150 million. This guidance excludes any cash burn associated with potential new business development activities.

The Company prepared the Transition Report under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The Company’s next fiscal year end will be December 31, 2016. Starting with the first quarter of 2016, the Company will file with the SEC quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-K prepared under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP").